Stealing Luca's Heart (15 page)

Keeping a safe distance, she carefully peeked over, attempting to keep her fear of heights at bay. They were indeed standing next to a long, narrow canyon, perhaps a kilometer wide and running as far as she could see in either direction. It was amazingly straight.

Not knowing what else to say, she stated the obvious. “I’m looking down a canyon.”

Luca nodded. He motioned for her to continue her guessing. “C’mon, professor. This should be easy for you.”

He wants to play twenty questions.
She was fine with that. “Does the canyon have a name?”

“Silver Fern Canyon, but the name doesn’t give away the secret.”

She didn’t believe him. “So why Silver Fern?”

Luca looked behind him. “Follow me. It’s easier to show you.” He led her away from the canyon, down a steep grassy hill behind them, and into a small patch of forest nestled at the bottom.

“The silver fern is more or less our national plant,” Luca explained, sifting through the foliage in front of him. “Silver ferns aren’t just the name of our national netball team but an actual fern with a silver underside that reflects the moonlight.” He stopped and looked around. Finally finding what he was looking for, he bent down and turned over a fern branch, exposing the underside. “If you went out for a moonlit hike and needed to find your way back, you could lay these ferns out and have a silver path to lead you back home.”

She leaned down next to him, examining the fern herself. “I can see why that would have such a special place in kiwi culture. I’m guessing the Maori used them.” She turned the fern from side-to-side.

Luca nodded. “Bingo.”

“I give. What’s that have to do with your canyon?”

Luca stood and offered his hand to help her up. “It’s all about secrets. The silver fern holds a certain secret, as does this canyon.” He led them back up the hill into the clearing. “Can you see that box over there on the wooden stake?” Luca asked, pointing twenty yards to his left.

The light bulb flicked on in Ally’s head. She’d spent enough time with her dad to know what a data logger looked like.

“You want to put a wind farm out here, don’t you?”

Luca gave her a wide grin, clearly pleased at her deduction. “Ally, not just any wind farm. New Zealand sits in the midst of the roaring forties, latitudes between forty to fifty degrees. The westerly winds tear through the southern hemisphere not impeded by large land masses. My dad always thought this canyon was special, the way the wind funneled off the surrounding mountains down through here all year long. The last five years we’ve been monitoring the wind speeds and directions and have come to a remarkable conclusion.”

“What?” she asked quickly.

“When you take into consideration the length of the canyon and the wind consistency, this canyon would allow us to be the largest renewable energy developer in the southern hemisphere.”

“Wow!” That was remarkable. She scanned the length of the canyon considering this information. “So how does that work, then?” She tried to recall some facts her dad had shared with her. “Do you lease the land to an energy company, or who will put the turbines out here and tie you into the grid?”

“Partnering with an energy company is one way it can be done, and trust me, it would be easier. But we want to keep the power locally owned and operated.” They both turned their heads at the crack of lightning in the distance.

“We also have a few historical Maori burial sites nearby to consider. It’s a massive investment, but we don’t think international corporations have any business on our land, never have. The profits should stay in New Zealand. It’s no secret our family has refused government and corporate buyouts. This is something we need to do ourselves.”

Ally folded her arms and felt the wind blow light rain on her shoulders. It was handy she still had her swimsuit on. She thought of the governor, wondering what he would say about this canyon. Surely Ian would be interested since he’d just gone through the same thing. Although the Iowa Wind Project was run by a European company.

“So where are you now with all of this?”

“I’ve had a couple of preliminary discussions with the regional resource consent board. They’ve assured me that we shouldn’t have any trouble getting approval for the wind turbine farm. We’re just finalizing our business plan before going public in Auckland in a few days.”

“You’re going to announce this at the energy conference! That’s quite a way to roll it out. You’ll make world headlines. How much more testing do you have left?”

“Sean’s been compiling the data for the past year from the wind acquisition units that are up and down this area. He’s really taken the lead on this and turned it into his baby. He even came up with the name. Turning Green, Ltd.”

“I love that name.” She couldn’t help but feel excitement for Luca and what his family had discovered.

Luca ran both hands through his damp hair. “It’s good to see Sean finally find his niche on the farm. The data is solid, so we’re ready to roll. Are you still going to the conference?”

She sighed. “It depends on Dad. I may have to take care of him when he leaves the hospital. I should wait and see how he’s doing.”

Luca turned from the rocky edge to face her. He studied her for a moment. “Let’s have a seat while we wait for our ride.” He led her over to a tall tree near where the helicopter had landed.

They ducked under the wide branches and sat down next to each other where they received some protection from the gentle rain. The warm summer wind was blowing around them, but she was glad the black clouds seemed to be holding just to the north.

Luca leaned back on his hands and stretched out his long legs. “You have no idea how nice it is to be able to discuss this with someone outside the family who really gets it.” He seemed to be focusing on something far in the distance. He finally turned back to her. “You know, this will be an exciting announcement for us. You should be there,” he said simply.

She felt her stomach tighten.
This isn’t a date
, she chanted to herself.
He just wants me there because Dad can’t make it.
For an instant, she realized how many women might kill for the seat she had right now. She mirrored his pose, taking in the view and inhaling the fresh mountain air blowing over them.

“We’ll have to see.” Her time here hinged on her dad. It was hard to plan beyond that.

She could feel his eyes on her. Why the hell did he keep staring at her? It was making her suddenly self-conscious. She was still wearing her outfit from the boat ride. The winds had loosened her hair from her ponytail, so she had loose curls whipping around her face. She absently tried tucking them behind her ears.

Luca suddenly shifted, scooting close to her, his face inches from hers. “Ally…”

She met his gaze. Taking a deep breath, she tried unsuccessfully to slow her pulse down that had just been kick-started. The hungry look in his eyes left her breathless. She didn’t know what Luca wanted with her—maybe he saw her as a challenge—but right now she was losing interest in caring.

His searing gaze remained on her while he gently reached over, taking her chin in his hand, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Easing back, his hooded eyes gauged her reaction, her answer.

She didn’t wait for her brain to catch up. She reached behind him, digging both hands into his thick mane, directing his mouth back to hers.

Crazy
, she thought. This was completely mad. Where she was, who she was with, and that he wanted her. At this moment, she craved crazy and pulled him even closer, answering him.

The kiss wasn’t gentle anymore but demanding, their tongues exploring, tasting. She loved the feeling of his strong hands as they moved to her waist and then to her back, pulling her hard up against him.

Luca freed her hair from her ponytail holder, so now her long hair was wild in the wind. “Jesus, Ally,” he managed, his voice thick. He took a fistful of her hair and tilted her head, running his lips along her throat. “I can’t help myself with you,” he murmured. “So sexy…so beautiful…”

Her eyes closed while she lost herself in his soft kisses teasing her ear. When he began to lightly nip her neck, she inhaled sharply, hearing him groan in response.

Encouraged, she pushed her hands up his shirt, greedily running her fingers along his tight chest, over his broad shoulders and back. Desire was consuming her. “I need to see you,” she managed, attempting to lift his shirt.

He was on the same page because Luca quickly sat back and started yanking his shirt off and then stopped abruptly. “Shit.”

They both heard the sound of the approaching helicopter.

Ally felt dizzy as the buzzing sound brought her back to reality. Shit was right. How had things gone completely primal so fast?

Their eyes met, both seemingly cognizant that a line had been crossed. She willed her brain to reboot. It was pretty obvious where things were heading if they’d been left alone much longer.

Luca blew out a breath and gave her a boyish grin. “This isn’t how I normally end my tours.” He stood up, offering a hand to her.

She let him help her up and couldn’t help but smile back. “Wow. Was that the V.I.P. package?”

Luca blew out a breath. “No, Ally. This would be a first. C’mon.”

His mood had turned serious, as if he was wrestling with his own emotions, she decided. He draped his arm over her shoulder and kissed the top of her head before leading her slowly to the waiting helicopter.

Chapter 12

Ally stared into her armoire as if waiting for it to speak and tell her what to wear to the Tetari dinner. Her wet clothes from this afternoon’s adventure were drying on a nearby chair. She’d indulged in a long hot shower after returning, but her skin was still alive with the lingering sensation of Luca’s kisses. Not that she’d tried very hard to wash that off.

Getting steamy with Luca today was about the last thing she expected this afternoon, especially after having just met the guy yesterday. They’d already spent so much time together, making her feel like she already knew who he was rather well.

She yanked the towel off her head, hanging it up on the hook in the bathroom. Why was she having such a hard time processing her thoughts? She dried her hair, and then on impulse, she straightened her hair while continuing to analyze the Luca situation.

In the darkest shadow of her mind, if she was honest, she hoped something did happen with Luca before she flew home. A girl could fantasize. When he was at her neck, she swore she actually heard her brain fizzle out. There was no doubt that he would be an amazing lover. Hmm…she imagined his lips on her body.
Jeez, Ally.

Shaking her head, she turned off the straightening iron. Clearly, Luca Tetari had managed to awaken a part of her that had been pushed shut. Perhaps it was luck that they were pulled apart before any serious decisions needed to be made.

Ally applied her makeup and sat down on the bed. Who was she kidding? Apparently, it was well documented how many women Luca had been interested in and none had stuck. Not good odds. Maybe he knew he could get lucky with a girl who wouldn’t be around long. No strings to worry about. Well, that could go both ways.

There was a soft knock at the door. Standing, she tightened her robe and crossed the room. In this house anybody could be behind her door, so she opened it a crack. She peaked out and did a double take before letting out a scream.

“Hey!” Tara yelled back, pushing open the door and into her sister’s arms.

After a long embrace, she finally pulled back. “You don’t know how good it is to see you.”

Tara nodded, looking her sister over. “You don’t look too haggard from your travels. In fact,” she said, examining Ally’s face, “you’re glowing.”

“Must be from the scalding shower I just took.” She wasn’t sure how to bring up her afternoon make-out session with Luca, or if she should. Part of her still felt that her free time should be spent looking into who shot their dad.

Tara threw her overnight bag onto the bed. “Isn’t this house amazing? What a beautiful room you have,” she said, running her fingers along the edge of the bed.

“Did Phillip meet you at the airport?”

At the mention of Phillip’s name, her sister’s mouth curled up. “He did. He also drove me to the hospital to see Dad and then out here. That’s how I found your room; he escorted me so I wouldn’t get lost.”

Tara was being coy, but she had more pressing concerns than Tara’s new infatuation. She followed Tara out onto the patio and took a seat across from her. “So you saw Dad?”

Tara reached out and placed her hand on Ally’s. “Can you believe poor Dad’s shot in the arm? He looks good, though, doesn’t he, considering?” she added quickly. “He’s in high spirits now. His doctor said they’re releasing him tomorrow morning.”

Ally knew they were both trying to keep the conversation light.

“That’s great news. I guess now we need to start thinking about when to book flights out of here.” Somehow she wasn’t as eager to evacuate her dad as she had been just yesterday. “If Dad’s up for it, we could spend another day or so at your place before flying home.”

“I’ve no doubt you’ll figure it out. Let’s not worry about that right now. It’s such a gorgeous night,” Tara said, admiring the view. “No matter how many times I come down here, the landscape always just leaves me in awe. Get dressed and let’s sit out here for a bit before we go to this dinner thing.”

She stood and walked back inside. “Let’s talk in here while I get ready.” Lord knew who could be walking by.

Tara didn’t move. “I don’t know,” she yelled over her shoulder. “You sat out here, and a man just stopped by. I’d like to try my luck.”

She shifted her hands to her hips. “All the men you could possibly want will be at this party tonight. Please come in here and help me decide what to wear.” Ally felt exasperated. “I’ve been staring at my clothes for fifteen minutes.”

“Fine.” Tara pushed out her chair and walked back into the room.

Ally checked out what her sister was wearing while Tara sank onto the edge of the bed. She had on a denim short-sleeved shirt dress that hit above her knees. Her sandals were sexy beige wedges that tied around her calves, making Tara almost her height. She returned to staring at her clothes.